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Canadian Premiere of New Stephen Hawking Documentary

November 14, 2013

The new biographical documentary about the world’s most famous living scientist is coming to Ontario, Canada. “Hawking: The Remarkable Story of a Beautiful Mind” will begin its Canadian premiere run at the Toronto International Film Festival’s Bell Lightbox, starting Friday, November 29.

The film is the definitive account of Stephen Hawking’s journey from boyhood to global scientific icon, written by Hawking and made with unique access to his private life and family.

Perimeter Institute Director Neil Turok, a longtime collaborator and friend of Prof. Hawking, looks forward to the film sharing some new perspectives on a brilliant and inspiring life. “The more you know Stephen, the more remarkable he is,” said Turok in TVO’s Stephen Hawking: The Power of Ideas broadcast. “He is the ultimate story of mind over matter.”

The Canadian premiere is a co-presentation between Perimeter Institute, where Hawking is a Distinguished Visiting Research Chair, and the Toronto International Film Festival.

The TIFF Screenings will run from Friday November 29 to Thursday, December 5, 2013.

Fresh from this Toronto run, the documentary will move to Waterloo, Ontario, for special screenings at the Princess Cinema in collaboration with the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC).

Raymond Laflamme, IQC Executive Director and Perimeter Institute Associate Faculty Member, will provide a special Q&A session at the Sunday, December 15 screening at 5:00pm. Laflamme is a former student of Prof. Hawking, and the two remain long-time friends.

Screenings at the Princess Cinema begin Friday, December 13 and run until Tuesday, December 17, 2013.

MESSAGE FROM PROF. HAWKING

“In this life, we can all learn from each other about our approaches to adversity, our appreciation for opportunities, and how to collaborate with each other to improve our world.” said Professor Hawking for a video address that will precede the Canadian screenings. “And I hope that in your own journey through life, that you are able to contribute your ideas, creativity, and collaborations in shaping a better future, just as I have tried to do in mine.”

WATCH THE TRAILER

MORE ABOUT PROF. STEPHEN HAWKING

To millions around the world, Professor Hawking is the embodiment of science itself, and the boundless potential of the human mind. Persevering despite profound physical disabilities wrought by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Hawking has revolutionized our understanding of space and time.

For example, Hawking completely changed our view of black holes. He calculated they aren’t truly “black” after all but rather emit radiation, now known as Hawking radiation. His work has provided some of the best clues we now have about how to unite quantum mechanics with Einstein’s general relativity – the holy grail of modern physics.

Hawking has won nearly every major prize in physics: the Einstein Medal, the Franklin Medal, the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society, the Wolf Prize in Physics, and the Fundamental Physics Prize – the list goes on.

The new documentary tells Hawking’s story through archival footage, historical re-enactments, and narration by Hawking himself – a “winning approach” that highlights “his ambition and drive,” writes the New York Times.

About Perimeter Institute

Perimeter Institute is the world’s largest research hub devoted to theoretical physics. The independent Institute was founded in 1999 to foster breakthroughs in the fundamental understanding of our universe, from the smallest particles to the entire cosmos. Research at Perimeter is motivated by the understanding that fundamental science advances human knowledge and catalyzes innovation, and that today’s theoretical physics is tomorrow’s technology. Located in the Region of Waterloo, the not-for-profit Institute is a unique public-private endeavour, including the Governments of Ontario and Canada, that enables cutting-edge research, trains the next generation of scientific pioneers, and shares the power of physics through award-winning educational outreach and public engagement.